Hephzibah, Georgia

Hephzibah, Georgia
City
Location in Richmond County and the state of Georgia
Hephzibah Location within the state of Georgia Hephzibah Hephzibah (the United States) Show map of Georgia (U.S. state)Show map of the United StatesShow all
Coordinates: 33°18′15″N 82°5′53″W / 33.30417°N 82.09806°W / 33.30417; -82.09806Coordinates: 33°18′15″N 82°5′53″W / 33.30417°N 82.09806°W / 33.30417; -82.09806
Country	United States
State	Georgia
County	Richmond
Area [1]
• Total	19.56 sq mi (50.65 km2)
• Land	19.49 sq mi (50.47 km2)
• Water	0.07 sq mi (0.18 km2)
Population  (2010)
• Total	4,011
• Estimate  (2019)[2]	3,944
• Density	202.39/sq mi (78.14/km2)
ZIP code	30815
FIPS code	13-38040

Hephzibah (/ˈhɛpzɪbə/) is a city in southern Richmond County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is part of the Augusta metropolitan area. The population was 4,011 at the 2010 census.^[3] Hephzibah is a poetic name used in the Book of Isaiah (62:4) to refer to Jerusalem, meaning "My delight is in Her."

History[]

Hephzibah was originally named Brothersville, in honor of three brothers who settled near one another. In October 1860, a Baptist seminary was established in Brothersville by a group of Appling residents.^{[citation needed]} They established the Hephzibah Baptist Church in 1862. The prominence of these new religious institutions in the area swayed the state of Georgia to rename the town Hephzibah in 1870.^[4] In 1909, Walter A. Clark published a book of local history, named A Lost Arcadia - The Story of My Old Community, detailing the earliest days of Hephzibah.^[5]

In 1996 the governments of the city of Augusta and Richmond County combined to form a consolidated government. The residents of Hephzibah and nearby Blythe voted to maintain their separate city governments prior to this action. Some municipal services in Hephzibah are provided by the consolidated Augusta-Richmond County, while water, fire, and police services are maintained by the city.

After years of slow decline, the retail economy in Hephzibah has increased substantially since 2010. New businesses are an IGA grocery store,^[6] CrossFit gym, and a branch of the local chain restaurant Wife Saver, specializing in Southern food. The Wife Saver has since closed, but a new Dollar General was opened on Highway 88.

Geography[]

Hephzibah is located at

33°18′15″N 82°5′53″W / 33.30417°N 82.09806°W / 33.30417; -82.09806 (33.304126, -82.097923).^[7]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 19.4 square miles (50.2 km²), of which 0.07 square miles (0.17 km²), or 0.34%, is water.^[8]

Highways[]

• US 25 / SR 121
• SR 88

Demographics[]

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1900	541		—
1910	656		21.3%
1920	650		−0.9%
1930	646		−0.6%
1940	516		−20.1%
1950	525		1.7%
1960	676		28.8%
1970	987		46.0%
1980	1,452		47.1%
1990	2,466		69.8%
2000	3,880		57.3%
2010	4,011		3.4%
2019 (est.)	3,944	[2]	−1.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]

As of the census^[10] of 2000, there were 3,880 people, 1,374 households, and 1,090 families residing in the city. The population density was 200.4 people per square mile (77.4/km²). There were 1,570 housing units at an average density of 81.1 per square mile (31.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 71.37% White, 25.08% African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.62% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 0.75% from other races, and 1.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.96% of the population.

There were 1,374 households, out of which 39.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.4% were married couples living together, 17.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.6% were non-families. 17.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.2% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 9.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $37,123, and the median income for a family was $42,898. Males had a median income of $32,917 versus $22,841 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,905. About 12.9% of families and 16.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.5% of those under age 18 and 16.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education[]

Richmond County School System operates public schools, including Hephzibah Elementary School,^[11] Hephzibah Middle School, and Hephzibah High School.

There is also a charter school, Georgia School of Innovation and the Classics (GSIC).^[12]

Religion[]

Christianity is predominant in the region, with the largest denominations being Independent Baptist, Southern Baptist and Methodist.

Notable locations[]

• Augusta International Raceway
• Diamond Lakes Recreation Center
• Jessie Carroll Park and Recreation Center
• Blythe Recreation Center

Notable people[]

This list includes people who were born in Hephzibah or who spent a significant amount of time living in the town.

Name	Date of Birth	Notes	References
Darrell Blocker, nicknamed "The Spy Whisperer"		CIA agent	[13]
Wendell Chavous	1985	NASCAR driver
John Wesley Gilbert	1864	First student and black professor of Paine College, one of the first black American archaeologists	[14][15]
George Kitchens	1983	Track and field athlete
Marlon Riggs	1957	Filmmaker and educator	[16]
Vaughn Taylor	1976	PGA Tour golfer	[17]
Itoro Umoh-Coleman	1977	WNBA basketball player and Clemson assistant coach
Ben Chestnut	1973/1974	Founder and CEO of Mailchimp	[18]

Photos[]

• 

  Sunset view in HDR from Fulcher Road in Hephzibah.

See also[]

• Hephzibah High School

References[]

External links[]

• Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Hephzibah